49ers preseason win over Raiders sparks changes to 53-man roster projection

The San Francisco 49ers on Saturday secured their first win of the preseason with a thrilling 22-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

That victory also catalyzed a new 53-man roster projection.

Surprisingly, the 49ers’ injury situation didn’t factor much into our updated prediction. The bigger concern is their overall depth even on a healthy version of their roster. The biggest changes in our second roster projection are related more to rookies stepping up than they are to availability.

Here’s what our second 53-man projection of the offseason looks like:

Quarterback (2)

Brock Purdy
Mac Jones

Notes: No changes here. Carter Bradley isn’t good enough to justify keeping three QBs.

Running back (4)

Christian McCaffrey
Isaac Guerendo
Jordan James
Patrick Taylor Jr.

Notes: Corey Kiner’s ankle injury vs. the Las Vegas Raiders puts a bit of a wrench in his chances to make the team. The 49ers may try to sneak him through waivers and onto their practice squad. There’s also a chance James is the rookie who gets cut after Kiner performed well in his limited preseason action.

Fullback (1)

Kyle Juszczyk

Notes: Same as it ever was.

Wide receiver (6)

Ricky Pearsall
Jauan Jennings
Demarcus Robinson
Jacob Cowing
Jordan Watkins
Russell Gage

Notes: We’re keeping this group the same for now. There’s just not enough quality down the roster to foresee another WR cracking the top five or six. Gage is probably the odd man out if they keep five WRs. It looks like Brandon Aiyuk will start the season on the PUP list and miss the first four games.

Tight end (4)

George Kittle
Luke Farrell
Jake Tonges
Brayden Willis

Notes: A small change with Tonges taking Ross Dwelley’s spot after Dwelley was released ahead of the second preseason game. We toyed with the idea of only keeping three TEs, but if the 49ers are planning on keeping a second TE in to block in passing situations and letting Kittle get out in a route, depth is going to be important. Reports on Willis out of the SAP Performance Facility have been strong in this year’s camp, and Tonges has flashed enough pass-catching upside to stick around.

Offensive line (9)

Trent Williams
Nick Zakelj
Jake Brendel
Dominick Puni
Colton McKivitz
Ben Bartch
Spencer Burford
Austen Pleasants
Connor Colby

Notes: The only change here is Colby sneaking into the ninth spot over Matt Hennessy. Colby started the second preseason game at left guard, and with Puni now nursing a knee injury the team may need him to kick over and play on the right side. OL depth, particularly at offensive tackle, could be a major issue.

Defensive line (10)

Nick Bosa
Mykel Williams
Bryce Huff
Sam Okuayinonu
Yetur Gross-Matos
Alfred Collins
CJ West
Evan Anderson
Jordan Elliott
Sebastian Valdez

Notes: Kevin Givens was on the roster, but he has a pectoral injury that sounds like it could require an IR stint to start the year. That opens a spot for Valdez, who has been impressive as an undrafted rookie. The depth along the defensive front could also be a problem this season.

Linebacker (5)

Fred Warner
Dee Winters
Nick Martin
Curtis Robinson
Tatum Bethune

Notes: Robinson snags the spot previously occupied by Luke Gifford. An alternate version of the roster with six LBs would likely feature Gifford. The 49ers could justify trimming an extra WR, TE or DL if they thought it better to keep a sixth LB.

Cornerback (5)

Deommodore Lenoir
Renardo Green
Upton Stout
Jakob Robinson
Dallis Flowers

Notes: Robinson has had a good first preseason and with question marks in the near and long term at cornerback it makes sense for the 49ers to try and keep the undrafted rookie from BYU around. A sixth CB is certainly possible and signs point to Tre Brown being the player who earns that nod, but don’t sleep on Chase Lucas who has been sensational in the preseason.

Safety (4)

Ji’Ayir Brown
Jason Pinnock
Marques Sigle
Richie Grant

Notes: Nothing changes here for now, but keep an eye on undrafted rookie Derrick Canteen. He’s had some good moments in the preseason and he may be a player San Francisco wants to take a chance on over a veteran like Grant. The vet gets the nod for now, but it’s tenuous.

Specialists (3)

LS Jon Weeks
P Thomas Morstead
K Jake Moody

Notes: Moody drilling a 59-yard game winner vs. the Raiders did a lot toward securing his roster spot.

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers roster projection after preseason win over Raiders